Health, Fashion, Parenting and Women Related Issues

It’s totally normal for you and your partner to have different ways of eating, dressing or watching TV. But one thing you need to do the same way is parent. Here are a few tips to help you co-parent successfully.

Accept the inevitability of parenting disagreements. You and your partner are unlikely to see eye-to-eye on every conceivable parenting issue. After all, you’re two entirely different people. Although you’ll probably find that most of your parenting conflicts are relatively easy to resolve—for example, for the sheer sake of marital harmony, you may be able to live with the fact that your partner lets the kids eat chocolate chip cookies for breakfast occasionally—other conflicts may be a bit trickier to resolve, particularly if those differences come down to a fundamental difference in parenting styles. In this case, some heavy-duty backroom negotiations may be in order so that you can present a united front to the kids.

Keep it private. If you and your partner have some fundamental differences of opinion on how certain types of parenting situations should be handled, try to work out those differences in private. If you find that you disagree more than you agree, you may want to consider taking a parenting course together or working with a marriage and family counselor to try to identify some parenting common ground and to find out if some unrelated issues may be causing problems in your marital relationship. Remember to treat your partner with respect as you attempt to work through these difficulties. It’s important not to allow any marital problems the two of you may be experiencing to affect the quality of your parenting decisions. Read more

Here’s one walk that can help you unwind and unload some of the stress that may be weighing you — and your looks — down:

1.Step outside and leave your stresses — and your iPod — behind.

2.Take in the details of your surroundings — the buzz of traffic, the chirp of a bird, the curvature of plants and trees, the precise color of the sky, the shape of moving clouds.

3.You will find yourself becoming hyperaware and in the moment. At this point, think about what you are thankful for in your life. It can be general or specific: your health, your family, your experiences at work, your life partner, your children, your last birthday party, and so on.

4.Let your mind and memory run free.
Becoming very present like this gets you thinking in a whole new light and connecting in ways you never imagined. You also get inspired by thinking more broadly rather than focusing on your own inner world and trivial frustrations. It’s a great way to beat down stress while at the same time appreciating where you are right now. Also, one of Dr. Amy Wechsler’s seven habits for healthy skin (number four, to be exact) entails focusing on the good things. When you’re done with your walk, take 5 minutes to write down some of your revelations in a journal.

Making the transition from summer fun to the start of the school year can be difficult for children—and it isn’t exactly a piece of cake for adults, either.

Who wants to go from sleeping in late and playing all day to waking up early and dealing with the work and social pressures of school? Parents have to get back into the routine of helping kids with homework at night, preparing bagged lunches and keeping tabs on their children’s progress in school.

There are ways, however, for parents to ease the change in schedule and prepare themselves and their children for the challenges and (yes, even) the fun of the school year. Here are a few tips for making back-to-school time a bit easier for everyone:

Be prepared. A little preparation can really reduce your child’s anxiety about the unknowns of the new school year.

Spend time talking with your child about school and what might happen on the first day before classes begin. If you have a younger child, try reading books about school.

Bring your child to school in advance. Let them check out their new classroom, find their new locker and maybe even say hi to their new teacher.

Let your child know it’s OK to feel nervous when starting school. Remind them that teachers and other kids are nervous, too. Read more

As a trend watcher, I’m always intrigued when a very specific trend catches on. And this spring, orchids are the talk of the town. The exotic flower has worked its way to one of the most apparent trends of the season. Whether it’s orchid jewelry, hair accessories, the most coveted bridal bouquet, a patterned print or orchid scented perfume, the orchid has become the classy alternative to a simple rose. This elegant flower is available in an array of colors and shapes and because the trend has seeped into all areas of fashion, it’s easy to add orchids to your spring wardrobe.

As we have seen, beachy textured hair has resurfaced as a popular look for spring/summer. The effortless, thrown-together look of full soft waves, just a hint of frizz and a whole lotta just-rolled-out-of-bed, is an easy way to sex-up a casual look. This beauty trend is topped off when an orchid hair accessory is added to the mix. Taking the already sexy ‘do and boosting it into the realm of “I should be strolling the beaches of Bora Bora right now.” These subtle details go a long way- making you appear unfussy and natural but overtly feminine. And that continues to be my style mission of the season.

We all have weeks when our confidence and self-esteem plummet, and everyday irritants that we’d normally blow off (cat hair on your best black pants, dead batteries in the remote) get to us more than they should. Use these tactics the next time you feel one of these moods coming on:

Take a step back. Sometimes, problems swell into things that get out of control or look worse than they really are. And sometimes you just don’t give yourself enough credit: You may actually be dealing with your daily stresses just fine — but in your head, things feel frantic. Take a step back. Try to see yourself through someone else’s eyes (anyone’s eyes — your lover’s, your gardener’s, Big Bird’s). You might see that you’re actually doing better than you think.

Schedule a worry period. Okay, do you relish worrying? Fine, worry away. But there’s a catch: Devote two periods a day to it. Give your worries your full attention for 15 to 20 minutes. Wallow in all their soul-sucking glory. Then stop. When they rise up again, tell yourself that you’ll address them during your next worry period. Now you’re in control over when worries can worry you.

Laugh it off. No joke, there’s something magical about laughter, even if it’s forced. Laugh off some of the day’s tensest moments. This is called self-generated laughter (versus cracking up at a comedian), and doing it regularly can make you more positive and optimistic. The reason’s pretty basic: The more you laugh, the better you feel.

Let go of the past. Happy memories can be blissful, but obsessing over bad ones doesn’t do any good. Learn from past mistakes and move on — don’t keep reliving them. Focusing on the present is the best thing you can do for yourself when you’re down.